Riveting machine



A. M. THOMAS RIVETING MACHINE Jan. 2, 1951 Filed Jan. 25, 1947 QM Q Q A,,rvElW INVENTOR Ailiefiijllljwmas BY a 5- W TTO RNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RIVETING MACHINE Albert M. Thomas, New York, N. Y.

Application January 25, 1947, Serial No. 724,451

Claims. 1

My invention relates to squeezing devices, such as pliers, and in particular to an improved pliers adapted for squeezing and setting rivets in relatively confined spaces.

In the assembly and maintenance of the larger sizes of electric motors, such as those employed for the propulsion of railway and street vehicles, the process of assembling coils on the armature has been lengthy and tedious, making this operation relatively expensive. In motors of the character indicated, each turn of each coil is made in at least two parts which must first be inserted in the appropriate slot in the armature before the two parts can be riveted together to complete the formation of the coil turn. In the past this operation has been performed manually by employment of specially formed, long-handled pliers,

and the operation has required substantially one man-day for a motor, say, for the size used on a subway car.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved pliers or riveting machine of the character indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved means, whereby the cost of assembly and of maintenance of electric motors of the character indicated may be materially reduced.

Other objects and various further features of invention will be pointed out or will become clear to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings Fig. 1 is a partially sectionalized side view of a pliers or riveting machine incorporating features of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of two parts of an electric-motor coil, showing the type of joint which the device of Fig. 1 can make with improved effectiveness.

Broadly speaking, my invention contemplates a pliers device having a pair of pivotally related jaw members which can be squeezed with very substantially enhanced mechanical advantage by the action of a system of links or levers. Pressure actuated means may be employed for'controlling the actuation of the linkage means and therefore of the jaw members.

In the specific form to be described, the two jaw members are pivotally supported from a transversely extending jaw-supporting member,

which is spaced from a frame member. A first pair of links is pivotally suspended from the frame member and connected to a second pair of links, which is also pivotally related to the jaw-supporting member. Toothed engagement between the jaw members and the second pair of links causes the jaws to squeeze with enhanced mechanical advantage as the jaw-supporting member is displaced with respect to the frame member.

Referring to the drawings, my invention is shown in application to a pliers device having a pair of jaw members 5-6 pivotally supported on a transversely extending jaw-supporting member 1. The jaw-supporting member is spaced from a frame member 8, and linkage means connect the frame member 8 to each of the jaw members 6 and l to actuate the latter upon a displacement of the jaw-supporting member i with respect to the frame member 8. In the form shown, a first pair of links 9-15 is pivotally suspended from the frame member 8, and a second pair of links 1 Il2 connects the free ends of the links 9 and ill to the jaw-supporting member I. The

links H and I2 may be positively associated with the jaw members 5 and 6, as by means of a geartoothed engagement. In the form shown, the link II is formed at its jaw-engaging end with an extended sector of gear teeth It for meshing engagement with a corresponding sector of teeth [4 on the jaw member 5. In a similar manner, teeth 15 on the link I2 are in continuous meshing engagement with teeth l6 on the sector back of the jaw member 6.

It will be appreciated that, as the jaw supporting means I is displaced with respect to the frame member 8, there will be such angular dis placement of the links ll and 152 as to cause corresponding angular displacement of the jaw members 5 and 6. These displacements of the jaw members 5 and 6 will be in opposed senses, with the result that a strong bite may be applied between the nose portions ll and [8 of the jaw members 5 and 6. For application of best mechanical advantage to the bite between jaw noses l1 and I8, I prefer that these portions of the jaw members 5 and 6 project relatively short distances from their points of pivotal support.

To assist in the operation of the above-described device, I prefer to employ pressure-actuated means for the forcible separation of the jawsupporting means I from the frame member 3. In the form shown, a pneumatic cylinder [9 is mounted upon the frame member 6, and the piston 20 in said cylinder is directly coupled, as by means of its stem 2 l to the jaw-supporting means 1. The space above the piston 26 may be fed by air or other pressurized fluid through a duct 22 in the frame 8 and connected to a suitable source of pressurized supply. To assist in the manipulation of the device, a grasping handle 23 may be fixed to the frame member 8, and the entire device may be spring or otherwise resiliently suspended from above, as by connection through a hole 24 in the frame member 8.

As indicated generally above, I consider my invention to be particularly adaptable to the riveting of coils in electric motors, that is, in motors of which coils are formed of strip or sheet material. In Fig. 2, 'I show a typical coil in which one turn is formed in at least two parts 2526. In the assembly of an armature, the coil half 25 must be inserted in its armature slot separately from insertion of the coil half 26, so that, after assembling an armature, the coil ends thereof terminate in a plurality of unjoined coil halves. The joint between the coil halves may be completed by a sheet of conducting material 21 folded over the ends of the two coil halves and suitably pierced for the accommodation of rivets 28-29. After completion of the riveting operations, mice. or other suitable insulating material may be inserted between adjacent strips 21 for each of the various coil ends, both for insulation purposes and to assure that the joined coil ends form a relatively tightly packed annular ring about the end of the armature.

In using my riveting machine for the servicing or assembly of an armature of the type indicated, I prefer to suspend the riveting machine from above, so that the jaw noses l1 and 38 project downwardly. The armature is then mounted with its axis horizontal so that the jaw noses i? and It may be forced between adjacent coil ends (see Fig. l). A slight application of pressures over the piston 2t will sufiice for actuation of the jaws and E5 so as completely to squeeze both ends of the rivet 3B which is being attached. Relaxation of control pressures permits the spring 35 to retract the piston 29 and, hence, the pliers noses 57-18. The pliers may then be moved over (or the armature may be moved) to fix the next adjacent rivet, where it may be readily inserted into position between coil ends.

It will be noted that upon application of pressures in the .cylinder 15, the jaw-supporting means, .and hence the jaw noses El and i8, tend to be forced downwardly with respect to the frame member 8. Since the armature under treatment is presumably firmly or solidly mounted, the result of this tendency towards downward displacement is to assure most efiective grip of the plier noses H and it upon the rivet that is being squeezed. The downward displacement may also assure that the riveting forces will be applied at points as near as possible to the pivotal axes of the jaws 5 and 6, for best mechanical advantage.

It will be appreciated that I have described a relatively simple device that is readily adaptable to the more effective and more efficient maintenance of electric motors. Very substantial reductions in maintenance time and cost have been realized with the structure described.

Although I have described my invention in detail for the preferred form shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a riveting device or the like, jaw-supporting means, a pair of jaw members pivotally supported by said jaw-supporting means, gear means on said jaw members, a frame member spaced from said jaw-supporting means, linkage means connecting said frame member with said jaw-supporting means and including gear means meshing with the geared portions of said jaw members, and drive means for changing the spacing of said jaw-supporting means with respect to said frame member to operate said links and thereby said gear means and said jaw members.

2. In a riveting device or the like, a frame member, jaw-supporting means, a pair of jaw members pivotally supported by said jaw-supporting means, each said jaw member including a toothed portion, .a first pair of links pivotally supported from said frame member, a second pair of links pivotally connected to said first pair of links and to said jaw-supporting means, said second pair of links including toothed portions for engagement with the toothed portions of said jaw members, whereby upon a relative displacement of said frame member .and said jaw-supporting means said jaw members will be angularly displaced with respect to each other.

3. Adevice according to claim .2, in which pressure-actuated means is interposed between said frame member and said jaw-supporting means for forcibly displacing said jaw-supporting means away from said frame member.

4. In a riveting device or the like, a frame member, two links pivotally suspended from said frame member, jaw-supporting means, two further links pivotally related to said first two links and to said ja-wsupporting means, a pair of jaw members pivotally supported by said jaw-supporting means and including biting portions pro jecting away from said frame member, one of said jaw members having gear teeth meshing with gear teeth on one of said last two link members, the other of said jaw members having gear teeth in mesh with gear teeth on the other of said last two link members, and pressureactuated means between said jaw-supporting means and said frame member for forcibly displacing said jawesupporting means away from said frame member, whereby the biting portions of said jaw members will be forced to squeeze with substantially enhanced mechanical advantage under actuation of said pressure-operated means.

5. A device according to claim 4, in which said pressure-actuated means includes a cylinder mounted on said frame member, and a piston having a stem connected to said jaw-supporting means.

ALBERT M. THOMAS.

REFERENCES SITE!) The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

